Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

Albert Ellis

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

REBTinterrelation of thought, feeling, and behavior

Human thinking and emotion are not two different

processesour thinking, emoting, and acting all interact
together

REBT is based on the concept that emotions and

behaviors result from cognitive processes

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

REBT seeks to help people understand that it is not past

or present events that cause emotional disturbances

It is the individuals belief system about the event, self,

others and the world that cause such disturbanceswhat
Ellis called irrational beliefs

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

Unhealthy functioning occurs when a person places

unrealistic and absolutist demands on self and others
musturbatory thinking (e.g., I must be able to always get
what I want; I must be able to do everything perfectly)

These demands often lead to feelings of unhealthy anger,

rage, guilt, depression, anxiety or shame

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

Irrational Beliefs are beliefs that are unrealistic, illogical,

absolutist

They arise from taking a sensible preference or desire

and raising it to a grandiose, absolutist must or demand

It is a persons irrational beliefs that lead to great anxiety,

depression, shame, anger, guilt, not the event which
he/she is experiencing

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

REBT

People continuously reindoctrinate themselves with

these irrational beliefs, upsetting themselves, making
themselves feel miserable

Because it is easy for people to make themselves

miserable and hold on to self-defeating thoughts, feelings
and behaviors, one can overcome such disturbances by
vigorously disputing them

Irrational Beliefs

#1The idea that you

must have, or that you
need, love or approval
from everyone, or from
all the people you find
significant

It is irrational because . . .

It is more rational to . . .

Irrational Beliefs

#2The idea that you

must prove thoroughly
competent, adequate, and
achieving in all possible
respects (or in one
particular area) to
consider yourself
worthwhile

It is irrational because . . .

It is more rational to . . .

Irrational Beliefs

#3The idea that if

something seems
dangerous or fearsome,
you must preoccupy
yourself with it, keep
dwelling on the
possibility of its
occurring, and make
yourself anxious about it

It is irrational because . . .

It is more rational to . . .

The A-B-Cs of Disputing Irrational Beliefs

A. Activating Event:
B. Beliefs:
C. Consequences:
D. Disputing:
E. Effect: